Word printing mechanism



J. W. BRYCE WORD PRINTING MECHANISM Nov. 27, 1934.

Filed May 25, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 27, 1934. J. w. BRYCE WORD PRINTING MECHANISM 4 sheets-shee't 2 Filed May 25, 1933 Flsgz.

INVENT R AnonNEY NOV. 27, 1934. l J, W BRYCE 1,981,987

WORD PRINTING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1933 4 sheets-'sheet s INVE'L'O/R ATTORNEY NOV. 27, 1934. 1 w, BRYCE woRD PRINTING MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG .7.

INSUL 770A/ INVENTOR /wua M BY TToRNr-:Y

Patented Nov. 27, 1934 1,981,987 WORD PRINTING ME CII-ANISM James W. Bryce, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 25, 1933, Serial No. 672,758

9 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to printing machines Fig. 5 is a position View of parts shown in and more speciiically to machines in which the Fig. 2. operation of a key will cause the printing of a Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the keys. complete word or words.

Fig. 'l is a section taken on line '7-7 of Fig. 6,

The broad object of the invention is to provide and a word printing machine of improved selectivity of operation and of. increased utility together with simplification and improvement of the mechanical construction with a View to imparting additional operating features as well as improvement in and .increased efliciency and utility of the features previously found in such machines.

The printing mechanism includes a continually rotating drum provided with a number of columns of type elements, there being a row of elements for each possible character to be printed. As the drum rotates to successively present the several characters to a printing position, printing hammers are tripped at differential times according to the characters selected for printing. The hammers, upon release, strike the selected type element while the drum is in motion and effect printing upon a record. All of the characters included in the word to be printed 5 are selected and printed in a single revolution of the printing drum.

A plurality of keys are provided, one for each word or designation to be printed. Each key is provided with a contacting arrangement or set-up which is representative of the word allocated to that key. Depression of the key will initiate a cycle of operations of the device whereby the set-up arrangement of the key itself will control the operation of the several printing hammers in proper sequence to print the selected word.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits of the device.

Fig. 2 is a central section of the device, showing the essential elements of the printing mechanism. l

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of th'e type elements about the periphery of the drum.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the record feeding and electrical controlling mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a fragment of a record.

The mechanical operation of the printing mechanism will first be described with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 5. The main operating shaft 10 is constantly driven from any suitable 65 source of power and carries a gear 11 which, through an idler 12, drives a gear 13 secured upon shaft 14.. Mounted onthe shaft is the drum 15. Upon the drum 15 are mounted a number of rows of type elements 16. The rows are arranged parallel to the axis of the shaft and there are as many rows as may be required for printing selected words. In the present instance, there are thirty-six such rows, twenty-six for the letters of the alphabet and ten forthe digits, ar- 'I5 ranged in order as indicated in Fig, 3.

It is apparent that drum 15 rotates constantly together with the main drive shaft 10 and the type elements successively pass printing position opposite a printing ribbon 17 in succession. 80

Mounted on shaft 10 is an actuating member 18 having ratchet-like teeth or flutes 19 which cooperate with a tooth 20 in an arm 21 which is pivoted to the lower extremity of a lever 22 pivoted at 23.

Carried by arm 21 is a stud 24 which is adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed member 25 which is pivoted upon a lever 26. Lever 26 isf pivoted at 27 and is normally biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 28. A springpressed latch 29 engages the end of the lever and normally holds it in the position shown in Fig. 2. The latch is connected through a rod 30 to the free end of armature 31 of a pair of magnets 32. Energization of magnet 32 will attract 95 its armature 31, drawing rod 30 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 2, to cause unlatching of lever 26, whereupon its spring 28 will rock it in a counterclockwise direction, causing downward movement of member 25 against stud 24 to move the 100 free end of arm 21 downwardly and lower tooth 20 into the path of the tooth 19 of the actuating member 18. The tooth 19 will cause the arm 21 to move toward the right and lever 22 will consequently be rocked in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 23.

The upper extremity of lever 22 is adapted to engage a depending arm of printing hammer 33 which is pivoted at. 34 and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring 35. This 110 engagement will rock the hammer 33 in a clockwise direction about its pivot and its striking head will be thrown into contact with one of the elements 16 of the printing drum, as the element is passing through printing position.

As the arm 21 is moved toward the right, its free end is adapted to engage the inclined camming surface 36 which serves to disengage tooth from the actuating member 18. This engagement will take place when the parts are substantially in the position shown in Fig. 5 at which time the lever 22 will have positively rocked the printing hammer 33 to a position where its striking point is just about to make vcontact with the record strip R. l

, The momentum of the hammer will carry it forward from this point to ,make actual printing contact between the record strip and a type element 16, after which it will rebound to home position where it is restrained by its spring 35.

The ratio of the gear connection between drum 15 and actuating member 18 is such that a tooth 19 passes tooth 20 during the passage of a type element through the printing position. It will, of course, be understood that the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 is repeated as many times as is necessary for any desired machine capacity and that if the letter A for example is to be printed in any section, printing action will take place when the first type element 16 arrives at'printing position. If the letter B is to be printed, the print.' ng action will take place immediately upon the arrival of the second type element at printing position, and so on. The time of printing is thus determined by the position which the selected type element occupies around the periphery of the drum.

The mechanism which controls the energization of the printing magnets 32 will now be described. Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, each key 37 has a body portion 38 of insulating material which is perforated with holes 39 arranged in vertical columns. The key is suitably mounted for vertical reciprocation and is provided with a `spring 40 which normally holds it in elevated position.I A latchng plate 41, secured to the body 38, is adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed bail 42 when the key is depressed. The bail 42 will snap over the lateral projection of plate 41 to hold the key in depressed position until energization of a magnet 43 rocks the bail 42 out of cooperation with the plate 41 and permits spring 40 to return thev key upwardly.

The lower extremity of the body portion 33 has pivoted thereto at 44 a spring-pressed finger ,45 so arranged that on downward movement of the key the free end of the linger 45 Will engage a resilient blade 46, causing it to move toward the right and cause closure of a pair of contacts 47 as the tip of the nger passes the bend 48 of blade 46. On the return or upward movement of the key, the nger 45 will, of course, not actuate the member 46.

To one side of the key is located a series of transverse bars of conducting material 49 and on the other side is a series of transverse conducting bars 50, the several bars being set in suitable plates of insulating material. In line with each column of holes 39 and on the same side with bars 50 are three contact segments 51, 52, and 53 and a further contact segment 54, there being a set of four segments 51 to 54 for each vertical column of holes 39.

Contact wipers 55 are adapted to be mounted in the holes 39, each column arranged to control the printing of a particular character and the several columns taken together form a complete word. As indicated in Fig. 7, the wipers 55 are normally out of engagement with the bars and segments with which they cooperate and do not contact therewith until the key 37 is depressed. The bars 49 control the printing of characters and numerals, as indicated in Fig. '7. For example, the uppermost bar 49 controls the printing of letters A, M and Y; the next bar controls the printing of B, N and Z, and so forth.

The characters to be printed are arranged in three zones and the segments 51, 52 and 53 assist in selecting the zone from which a desired character is to be printed. Reference to Fig. 3 Will show the order in which the zones of characters are arranged on the printing drum. During the passage of the rst Zone of characters through the printing position, the uppermost bar 49 in conjunction with segment 51 will control the printing of letter A. During the passage of the second zone, the uppermost bar 49 in conjunction with segment 52 will control printing of letter M and during the passage of the third zone, the same bar in conjunction with segment 53 will control the printing of the character Y,

The bars 50 are directly connected to the printing magnets 32 and, as illustrated, there are six bars 50 so that there will consequently be six printing magnets 32 and a wiper 55 will'be positioned to cooperate with the particular bar in whose associated printing column the character is to be printed. Fig. 6 shows the arrangement of wipers 55 to control the printing of the word Albany and Fig. '7 shows in more detail the sectional arrangement in the position for controlling the letter L.

The manner in which the wipers control the operation of the machine may best be understood in connection with the circuit diagram of Fig. 1 where the various bars and segments shown in Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatically illustrated. The six columns headed A-L-B-A-N-Y illustrate diagrammatically the relationship between the wipers 55 in these columns. For instance, in the A column, a wiper 55 is positioned to contact with the top-most bar 49 and this wiper has a connection 56 with a Wiper 55 which is in contact with'segment 5l of that column, and another wiper 55 in contact with segment 54 has a connection 57 to a wiper 55 which is in contact with the uppermost bar 50. This arrangement of the wipers in the A column will cause the printing of the letter A from the rst zone of type. In a similar manner, the wipers in the L column are arranged to control the printing of the letter L from the rst zone and to cause such printing to take place from the printing magnet 32 connected to the second bar 50.

In Fig. 1, the wipers 55 are shown in contact with their respective bars and segments, this being the association of the parts with the Albany key depressed. At the right end of Fig. 1 are shown the wiper connections for another key in which the wipers are positioned for controlling the printing of the word Troy, 'I'he wipers of this key are shown out of contact with their associated bars and segments. g

Before tracing the circuits, it may be explained that each of the segments 5l, 52 and 53 is connected to one of a pair of brushes 51a, 52a and 53a, respectively, and that the other of each pair of brushes is connected to the segment 54. Individual commutators 58 are provided with a segment of conducting material 59 which successively bridges the pairs of brushes 51a, 52a and 53a. The commutators 58 are carried by the printing drum shaft 14 and the segment 59 is so proportioned that it bridges the brushes 51a during the passage of the first zone of type through printing position and the brushes 52a during the passage of the second zone and the brushes 53a during the passage of the third zone. An emitting device comprising a pair of electrically connected brushes 60'y which cooperate with segments 61 and a common arcuate strip 62 is geared to the printing drum so that one of the brushes 60 contacts with the segments A, B, C, D, in succession as the corresponding type elements pass printing position and the second brush thereafter contacts With these segments in the same order as the elements M, N, O, P, etc., pass through printing position and the first brush again contacts with the segments in the saine order as the type elements Y, Z, 1, 2, etc., pass through the printing position. The segments are connected to the corresponding bars 49 as shown.

The general operation of the machine will now be described. It will be understood that the motor M, which continually drives the shafts 10 and 14, is in constant operation after the closure of switch 63 through a circuit from line 64 to line 65. Depression of, let us say, the Albany key in Fig. 6 will move all its wipers into the contacting position shown in Fig. 1 and will be latched in this position, as previously eX- plained. During the movement into such position, the Contact 47 associated with the key is momentarily closed causing energization of a clutch magnet 66 through a circuit from line 64, clutch magnet 66, contacts 47, to line 65.

The function of the magnet 66, as will be explained in further detail hereinafter, is to causea cycle of operations of the emitter brushes 60 in synchronism with the rotation of the printing drum and to effect record feeding operations.

Suice it to say at the present moment that energization of clutch magnet 66 will cause the brushes 60 to wipe over the segment 61 in synchronism with the movement of .the corresponding type elements through printing position.

Tracing the selection of the printing magnet more specifically and with particular reference to the printing of the letter A, a circuit will be completed when the A type element 16 is at printing position. This circuit is as follows: from line 64, common strip 62, brushes 60, LA Ysegment l61, uppermost bar 49, wiper 55 in the first column position of the word Albany", connector 56, wiper 55 in contact with segment 51, brushes 51a, which are electrically connected during the passage of the first zone of type elements, segment 54, connector 57, to the wiper 55 in contact with the uppermost bar 50, printing magnet 32 to line 65. In this manner, the magnet 32 is energized at the time the A type element is passing through printing position and an impression is taken therefrom at such time. Later in the cycle, as the brush 60 contacts with the L segment 6l, a similar circuit will be traceable from line 64. common strip 62, brushes 60, L segment 61, the lowermost bar 49, wiper 55 in the L column, segment 51, brushes' 51a, segment 54, wiper 55, connector 57, wiper 55 in contact with the second bar 50, and through the second magnet 32 to cause printing of the letter L in the second column of the record. In a similar manner, the letters B and A will be printed from the first zone of type.

As the second zone of type passes through the printing position, the commutator segment 59 will bridge the brushes 52a and the cooperation of the brushes 60 with the segments 61 will control the selection of type from the second zone, the circuits being traceable in the same manner as above except that they will pass through the segments 52 and brushes 52a.

Later, as the third zone of type passes through printing position, similar circuits will be controlled through segments 53 and brushes 53a.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the printing drum shaft 14 has secured thereto a driving element 67 which is adapted to cooperate with a springpressed clutching dog 68 pivoted at 69 to an arm 70 loosely mounted on the shaft 14. Energization of the magnet 66 will attract its armature 71 to release the dog 68 for engagement with the driver 67. The parts thus clutched will make one complete revolution with shaft 14 and, of course, printing drum 15.

Integral with arm 70 are cams 72 and 73. The cam 72 is arranged to engage a follower roller 74 on an arm 75 pivoted at 76. The arm is provided with a spring-pressed pawl 7 7 in engagement with a ratchet 78 mounted on a shaft 79. In Fig. 2, the shaft 79 carries ythe record advancing roller 80 so that operation of the arm 75 and pawl 77 through cam 72 will effect a spacing operation of the record R after the type elements have passed through printing position.

The arm 75 carries a second spring-pressed pawl 81 which through a ratchet 82 drives the ribbon Afeeding mechanism, the details of which are not shown. Cam 73 is adapted to rock a lever 83 pivoted at 84 which has connection through a link 85 with an arm 86 mounted upon i a. Shaft 87. In Fig. 2, the shaft 87 carries ngers 88 which under control of the cam 73 rock in. a counterclockwise direction about shaft 87 after the printing portion of the cycle to cause positive restoration and relatching of the levers 26 and latches 29.

Also integral with arm 70 and the cams 72 and 73 is a gear 89 which through an idler 90 drives a gear 91 secured'upon a shaft 92 which carries the brushes 60. By means of this clutch controlled mechanism, the depression of any of the keys 37 will cause a cycle of operations of the brushes 60 t0 accompany a revolution of the printing drum 15 and to cause a spacing of the record sheet toward the end of this cycle and also to cause the restoration of the printing hammer actuating devices. In Fig. l, a pair of contacts 93 controlled by a suitable cam on the shaft 92 is adapted to close during the latter part of the cycle to cause energization of magnet 43 which, as previously explained, will release the selected key for return to normal position under the influence of its associated restoring spring.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that Various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operal What is claimed is as follows:

1. A printing mechanism for completely printing a word by depression of a single key, said printing mechanism including individual type carriers for the different letters of the Word with provision for selecting a type element on each carrier and for effecting printing of the different letters of the Word at different times during a Y cycle of operation of the mechanism and means for initiating a cycle of operation of the machine to effect a Word printing on each operation of a key.

2. In a printing mechanism, the combination of a plurality of type carriers each having type elements representative of the letters of the alphabet, means for moving said carriers to successively present the elements thereon to a printing position, a key and means operative upon actuationof said key to select a type element on each carrier and effect printing therefrom at dilerential times depending upon the location of the selected elements on the carriers.

3. In a printing mechanism, the combination of a plurality of type carriers, each having type elements representative of the letters of the alphabet, means for moving said carriers to successively present the elements thereon to a printing position, means associated with each carrier for taking an impression from any element thereon as it passes through printing position, a key and means controlled by said key upon actuation thereof for causing each impression taking means to select an element to printl a complete Word.

4. A printing mechanism, comprising a plurality of type carriers each having a plurality of letter type elements thereon, means for moving said type elements past a printing position, a plurality of keys and means controlled by each key for taking an impression-from a predetermined type element on each carrier as said elements move past the printing position; to cause the printing of a complete word.

5. A printing mechanism, comprising a plurality of type carriers, each having a plurality of type elements thereon, means for moving said type elements past a printing position, means for selectively printing from any type element as it passes through printing position, a key and means controlled by said key for causing said printing means to print from a type element on each carrier to form a word.

6. A printing mechanism, comprising a series of groups of type elements, means for concurrently moving said groups past a printing position, means for taking an impression from any element in a group during said movement, a single key, and means controlled by said key upon actuation thereof to cause said last named means to take an impression from a type element in each group.

7. A printing mechanism comprising a plurality of movable type carriers each having a plurality of type elements thereon, means for moving said carriers, a printing hammer for each carrier, a single key and means controlled by said key upon actuation thereof for moving said hammers against their respective carriers at differential times to take an impression from a type element on each carrier whereby the printing of a Word is eiected.

8. In a printing mechanism, a plurality of rotatable type carriers, printing hammers therefor, a power drive, an actuator for each hammer, for connecting said power drive With said hammers during the rotation of said carriers to impel said hammers against their respective carriers, a single key and means controlled by said key for causing said actuating means to automatically cause operation of each actuator at different times during a single rotation of the carriers.

9. In a printing mechanism, a rotatable type carrier having a plurality of type elements thereon, electromagnetic means for effecting printing from any of said elements during rotation of the carrier, an emitter adapted to emit a series of impulses for operation of said electromagnetic means, there being one impulse for each type element, a key and means controlled by said key for selecting one of said impulses for control of said electromagnetic means to cause the same to eiect printing from the type element corresponding to the selected impulse.

JAMES W. BRYCE. 

